A screen reader needs to know what a piece of a page is, not only what it looks like. The ARIA role link describes a control that takes someone to a resource.
What this role means
A control that takes someone to a resource.
ARIA roles add meaning to the accessibility tree. They do not automatically make something clickable, move keyboard focus or build an interface. Those behaviors come from native HTML controls or from correctly implemented JavaScript.
See link in a real page
<!-- Example for link semantics -->
<a href="lessons.html">See all lessons</a>Read the example
You may notice that the snippet does not write role="link" explicitly. That is intentional: the native element already communicates this meaning, so repeating the role would add unnecessary markup.
Use a real a href: keyboard activation and browser navigation come built in.
When to use it
Start with native HTML whenever possible. Add ARIA only when it provides missing meaning for an interface that you cannot build with the appropriate native element.
In an accessibility inspector, compare the accessible role and name with the visible content. The important goal is that both keyboard users and screen-reader users can understand the page.
Try it yourself
Put the example on a practice page and inspect it using your browser accessibility panel. If it includes interactive controls, reach them with Tab and check whether they work without a mouse. Explain whether the semantics come from native HTML or an explicit ARIA role.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Adding
role="link"without checking whether an ordinary HTML element already supplies the right semantics. - Use a real a href: keyboard activation and browser navigation come built in.
- Confusing the role announced by a screen reader with the behavior that the browser implements.
Key Takeaways
linkis related to a control that takes someone to a resource.- Use a real a href: keyboard activation and browser navigation come built in.
- Native HTML is the first choice; ARIA should clarify meaning, not replace working HTML.